Same as it ever was

When John Rowland was hired into his new Waterbury gig, some of us noted that the city -- and perhaps the state -- had missed an opportunity to send a signal to the outside world that a new day had arrived and that legitimate businesses could seek opportunities here without worrying that they'd have to hire somebody's brother or pick from a short list of wired-up subcontractors.

Now, as you can see, Forbes has reached the opposite conclusion -- that Waterbury is still dirty. The city is -- as its people frequently note -- full of hard-working, honest souls, but until the gang at the top stops behaving like thugs and making excuses for corruption, that's what the world is going to know about. (h/t JenC)

And John? The day that Forbes visited might have been a good day to insist on paying out of pocket. You know? Just to put a good face on things:

Is the city's bad reputation going to be a problem? No, says the ex-gov: "People's memories only last about six months." Or else people just don't mind a little honest graft. The owner of a restaurant tells Rowland that his meal is on the house. The owner of a clothing store sees him eyeing a suit and says that he can provide a really good deal on it. "What do you think looks better?" Rowland asks. "Green or brown?"